how we came to live here

There is a fun thing going on at Our Suburban Cottage.  Annicole is inviting us all to recount how we found our house, flat, hut or palace.

This is the strange tale of the house that waited for our family.

Mon mari and I have had many different addresses.  In several different countries.  When I was expecting our first baby we were in a lovely sunny flat in Paris.  Great,  I hear you say, and it was, but we wanted trees, we wanted countryside, we wanted more... So by the time number 2 was on the way we found ourselves renting a beautiful orangery in Normandy.  This was lovely too, in the middle of an oak forest, but when I was expecting number 3, we were ready to buy, and things got serious.

The French real estate agent is a breed apart.  They think it indiscreet to give you details on properties for sale!  Not the best selling technique!   I had faxed ALL the local estate agents, notarial offices etc explaining what we were looking for.  NOBODY got back to me !

Finally an agent called me and I was invited to look at the details of a horrible ugly little house, "MAIS NON !!! I cried, this is not what I had in mind."  Luckily for me he was called away for a long phone call and I was left with his pile of forbidden property files!  Obviously I started going through and, lo and behold, found a picture I liked.  "VOILA!"  I excaimed to the harrassed agent when he came back into the office.  He looked worried, left the office and returned with Monsieur le DIrecteur.   They explained that it was not possible for me to see the house because it belonged to a big local family, and because my husband wasn't with me that day, and because and because.....

I persuaded them that I was capable of visiting a house without mon mari being present,  so against their better judgement off we went. 

What can I say, that evening I told mon mari I had found the place we needed to raise our children, and that night was filled with sweet dreams.

The estate agent hadn't finished surprising us;   he wouldn't take our calls, let alone inform the owners of our offer!

Weeks passed, and by chance a friend introduced us directly to the owner of the house.  A large and complicated family, who wanted to sell one day, but not necessarily the next.  Mon mari handled everything brilliantly, but it took a long long time, and our fourth baby en route.  Yes, a very long time - two whole years with nobody else interested!

Some things are just meant to be.  We may now be here forever  and see our children married in the garden, or we may pick up sticks and live another adventure in a far off land.  We will always be glad that the family has grown up here.  It may sound foolish but I believe that this house has loved looking after us as much as we've loved looking after it.